Exhaust valve silencer with sintered metal silencing disc



Dec. 29, 1964 s. F. STRYKER 3,163,255

EXHAUST VALVE SILENCER WITH SINTERED METAL SILENCING DISC Filed April 4,I963 United States Patent 3,163,255 EXHAUST VALVE SILENCER WITH SHNTEREDMETAL SILENCING DISC Seymour F. Stryker, Evanston, llL, assignor to AirMite Devices, Inc, Chicago, Ill. Filed Apr. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 270,697 4Claims. (Cl. 18150) The invention relates generally to gaseous fluidexhaust silencers and more particularly, relates to an improved silencerdevice for use in conjunction with a variety of types of exhaust valvesfor pneumatic apparatus such as, compressed airapowered presses. andcylinders.

The silencer device of the character with which the invention isconcerned is especially adapted for use with quick exhaust valves orexhaust control valves to effectively silence blasts of exhaust air fromsuch a valve occasioned in the operation of compressed air-poweredequipment, for instance. The silencer device embodying the inventionwould be useful in conjunction with reciprocating valves of the typedisclosed in US. Patent No. 2,965,131, which patent is owned by theassignee of the herein application. Such valves have been advantageouslyused in air return cylinder actuation for compressed air presses, forinstance. In the normal operation of such air-powered apparatus, it isnecessary to frequently discharge exhaust air under pressure, frequentlyreferred to as dumping the air, with resulting sudden and loud noise.Such blasts of air exhausted from an air cylinder are very disconcertingto personnel in the vicinity of operation of the air-powered equipmentand as well, the blasts of air create turbulent effects which can raiseclouds of dust and light-weight debris against which the air blastsimpinge.

It has been known to use various sound muffling materials such as wiregauze, plastic foam materials and sintered non-compacted metal powdersto achieve restrictions or silencing effects in various kinds of fluidpowered equipment. However, such materials have been somewhat difiicultto work with and have required suitable enclosures, such as in the caseof powdered sintered metal, to

prevent efilux of the silencing material upon exhausting of the gaseousiluid. Further, such air silencing materials have not been convenient tohandle and install in the silencer device so that generally, suchpreviously known silencer devices have been somewhat expensive tomanufacture and less than satisfactory in many practical respects.

Accordingly, it is a major object of this invention to provide asilencer device for exhaust valves such as used in air-powered equipmentwhich will substantially eliminate all of the disadvantages hereinaboveenumerated.

An important object of the invention is to provide a compressed gassilencer of the character described comprising, a nipple having a boretherethrough and means adjacent one end of the nipple for coupling saiddevice with the exhaust port of an exhaust valve, said nipple having anenlarged formation at the opposite end thereof having a seat in the endface thereof in which a silencing disc is secured flush with said endface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air silencer device ofthe character described in which said seat is larger in diameter thanthe diameter of said bore, and said disc comprises a compacted, sinteredmetal of a configuration having a uniform thickness substantially equalto the depth of said seat and seated across the discharge end of saidbore.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of an airsilencer of the character described which is materially more simple andeconomical to manufacture and use, which is capable of being usedeifectively in conjunction with various types of exhaust valves, andwhich is very efficient in reducing and/or eliminating thecharacteristic high blasting noise of suddenly exhausted or dumpedcompressed air or other gaseous iluid from powered apparatus.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparentfrom the ensuing disclosure in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention has been described in detail in the specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is contemplated that minorvariations may be made in structural features of size, construction,proportion and arrangement of parts thereof, which will not depart fromthe spirit or sacrifice any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

"FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the silencer device embodyingthe invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinallythrough the silencer device of the invention as installed in the exhaustport of a valve, said valve being illustrated in a more or lessdiagrammatic manner.

Referring to the drawing, the silencer device embodying the invention isdesignated generally by the reference character 10. As seen in FIG. 2,said device then is comprised of an externally threaded cylindrical bodyor nipple 12, preferably of metal, having a central bore 14 of uniformdiameter therethrough. Although the nipple 12 has been shown to haveexternal threads 15 thereon, it is contemplated that said nipple mayhave other suitable means for coupling same with the exhaust port of avalve body, depending upon the character of said port. At one endthereof, said nipple l2 has an enlarged formation or head 16 in theshape of a polyhedral nut. It will be appreciated that the head 16 maybe shaped in another manner, the head being suitably shaped forengagement thereof bya wrench or other tool for tightly coupling thedevice with the exhaust port of the valve. The ilat end face '18 of thehead 16 has an annular seat or recess 2t) therein, the diameter of whichis larger than the internal diameter of the bore 14' so as to providethe shoulder 22 at the juncture of the bore 14 and the seat or recess'20. Adapted to be engaged in the seat 20 is an air silencer disc orwafer, designated generally 24, which will seat across the discharge endof the bore 14. It will be seen that head 16 surrounds said dischargeend of the bore.

This disc or wafer 24 preferably is circular in configuration anddimensioned to match or conform with the con figuration of the annularrecess 20. The thickness of the wafer 24 is substantially equal to orslightly less than the depth of the seat 20 from shoulder 24 to the endface 18 of said head 16. Said disc 24 is formed of a sintered metalpowder compacted together to permit the disc to be handled withoutcrumbling or falling apart. The disc 24 is quite porous and may beformed of any one of a group of suitable metal powders such as bronze,nickel, steel or the like, or suitable metal alloys. 1 have found thatbronze powder provides a very satisfactory air silencing disc 24.

The disc 24 is assembled to the nipple 12 by engaging the disc in theannular recess 20 supported on the shoulder 22. To lock the disc 24 inthe recess 20, the marginal edge of the recess 20 is rolled or deformedas indicated at 26 engaging upon the upper perimetric edge of the disc.It will thus be seen that it is a simple and convenient matter toprovide the nipple 12 with the recess Zii opening to an end face of anenlarged end thereof, and merely dropping the disc into the seat 20 andthereafter rolling the edge of the recess 20 to complete the assembly.

Referring to FIG. 2, the reference character 3% represents generally theexhaust port of a valve body 32. The exact shape and size of the valvebody may vary within wide limits, such as, for instance, it can the formshown in said Patent 2,965,131. In any event, it should be understoodthat the reference character 32 designates a representative valve bodyhaving a threaded exhaust port 30 into which the threaded nipple 12 canbe screwed. In the type of installation shown in FIG. 2, it will be seenthat the head 16 is tightly engaged with the end face 34 of the valvebody 32. This can be accomplished with a suitable wrench. The arrows 36represent air blasts from the valve body 32 which will pass from theexhaust port 30 through the air silencer disc 24. The compacted sinteredmetal powder from which the disc 24 is formed provides a plurality oftortuous passageways therethrough of capillarydimension. The blasts ofair 36 must pass through the disc 24 in order to escape from the port 30and in this passage through the disc 24 must take a circuitous ortortuous path of movement. This tortuous movement serves to muffle orsilence the usual noise from such a sudden dumping or exhausting ofcompressed air from an air-powered apparatus and diffuses the airpassing therethrough, as indicated at 33, so that it loses its momentumand noise making capabilities. The disc is prevented from popping orblowing free of the head 16 by the rolled edge 26 which engages tightlyand effectively around the perimetric edge of the disc 24.

It shouldbe noted that the flush mounting of the disc 24 in the head 16eliminates any protruding portions of the disc which could be chipped orbroken away from the silencer device 10. This is advantageous becausesuch valve bodies 32 may be subject to rough handling or contactwith'other bodies in the locale in which the air-power equipment is inuse. The sintered metal powder incompacted form is strong and willresist considerable abuse and rough handling, however, it is not asstrong as solid metal, for instance, metal from which the nipple 12would be made. However, in the event that the disc 24 is broken in someway, it is feasible to reshape the rolled edge 26 to permit another disc24 to be installed in the recess 20 and thereafater, roll the marginaledge of said recess to lock the disc in place.

It is believed that the invention has been described in sufficientdetail to enable the person skilled in the art to understand andpractice the same with resulting economy and facility as describedhereinabove. The invention has been distinctly pointed out in the claimshereto appended in language intended to be liberally construedcommensurate with the advance in the arts and sciences contributed bythe invention.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A silencer device for installation at the exhaust port of acompressed air exhaust valve: said device comprising a body memberhaving a bore therethrough and means at one end of the body for couplingsame to said valve with the bore communicating with the port, saidmember having a head formation at a second end thereof, said formationhaving a recessed seat in an end face thereof, and a compacted, sinteredmetal disc secured in said seat across the discharge end of said boreand substantially flush with said end face, said seat having a rolledmarginal inner edge frictionally engaged with said disc to retain thedisc in the seat.

2. A silencer device of the character described comprising an externallythreaded metal nipple having a cen tral bore therethrough, a polyhedralnut formation integral with one end of the nipple and surrounding thedis charge end of said bore, said formation having a planar end faceprovided with an annular recess therein, the recess being larger indiameter than the bore to provide an internal shoulder spaced inwardlyfrom said end face, and a compacted, powdered metal disc fixedly securedin said recess flush with said end face and across said discharge end ofthe bore, said recess having an inner lip surrounding the perimetricedge of the disc and rolled to engage said disc.

3. A device as described in claim 2 in which said disc and recesssubstantially conform in configuration and dimensions.

4. A gas silencer device for installation on the exhaust port of anexhaust valve of the character described comprising, a nipple having acentral bore therethrough, said nipple having a head formation at oneend thereof, said head having a recessed seat in'an end face thereof,and a compacted sintered metal disc cooperatively engaged in said recessacross said bore and substantially flush with said end face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,905 4/80Curie 181-71 328,840 10/35. De Witt Isl-37 943,544 12/09 Hensley 18l361,326,647 12/19 Cotton et al. 18l7l X 2,576,610 11/51 Kunzog. 2,738,7813/56 Bodine 18l35 X 2,950,775 8/60 Zwayer 181-36 3,032,139 5/62 GildoneISL-5O LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

4. A GAS SILENCER DEVICE FOR INSTALLATION ON THE EXHAUST PORT OF ANEXHAUST VALVE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING, A NIPPLE HAVING ACENTRAL BORE THERETHROUGH, SAID NIPPLE HAVING A HEAD FORMATION AT ONEEND THEREOF, SAID HEAD HAVING A RECESSED SEAT IN AN END FACE THEREOF,AND A COMPACTED SINTERED METAL DISC COOPERATIVELY ENGAGED IN